COUNCIL: 5 things up for debate this week

Guide to what’s happening at Clarence Valley Council this week and it how it impacts you as a resident or ratepayer.

A Clarence Valley Council meeting livestream

Clarence Valley Council will hold their its full meeting of 2021 on Tuesday (Feb 23).

Councillors will consider the items raised at last week’s committee meetings, along with some other issues introduced to the agenda.

Here are five topics of interest that will come up for consideration:

1. No jab, no stay

Council will consider whether to let the general public back into council and committee meetings in line with COVID-19 requirements.

According to advice from the Office of Local Government, members of the public could physically attend meetings if there was sufficient room to accommodate the four square metre rule.

While the Grafton offices undergo refurbishment, all meeting will take place at Maclean, where the fixed seating provided limited space to accommodate the general public under the requirements.

Livestreaming of council meetings is currently set up, and the report states this has lifted community engagement, and the recommendation is that the current arrangement continues until all councillors have been vaccinated for COVID-19.

2. Moving money for our parks

A review of Holiday Parks capital works projects will aim to move funds to one project while deferring two others.

The money will be moved to the Brooms Head Holiday Park to upgrade its on-site sewage management system and allocate an upper limit reserve to extinguish native title.

The proposal will defer works planned for Minnie Water and Iluka Riverside holiday parks.

3. Put on notice

Councillors Greg Clancy and Debrah Novak have brought forward notices of motion for this council meeting.

Cr Clancy will put forward his argument for council to divest its investment funds that support the fossil-fuel industry. It provides a reference site for which institutions do not support the industry, and recommends the divestment be carried out without hurting council’s returns from the investment.

Cr Novak’s notice of motion seeks to create a media policy for Clarence Valley Council. The aim is to set out a standard set of operating procedures to provide a clear and concise pathway for council staff and all media platforms to engage with each other.

The plan not only sets out a plan for dealing with established media, but with “citizen” journalists and online platform moderators, both trained and untrained.

4. Mayoral minute

Mayor Jim Simmons is proposing to send to Regional Development Australia Northern Rivers a list of priorities, major projects and key initiatives from the council.

This is to allow the RDA committee to lobby Federal Government for support on council’s behalf to help complete projects, with the goal of returning Grafton to city status.

5. Confidential chatter

Three items are listed for debate in closed session at this month’s meeting.

The ongoing saga of the Regional Water Supply Essential Energy Agreement will again come before council.

Also listed is discussion of the Calypso Yamba Holiday Park Native Title, and an item on the 2021 Hockey Championships in Grafton.

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